Heart of Courage, Heart of Hope
by PuckReathof
Summary: A mysterious stranger falls thru the sky near the Shinmeryu dojo. His origins unkown, as a new threat rises, Motoko's sister thinks the stranger might be better off at Hinatasou, and so a new chapter of life at Hinatasou begins.
1. Prologue: Falling out of the sky

::**Prologue::**

**::Falling out of the sky::**

**Location: Shinmeiryu Training Grounds**

Tsuruko walked the training grounds, her bird circling overhead. The gray clouds covering the sky were indicative of a night full of rain, but no tempest had yet been unleashed upon the night. Her mood had been odd all day, whether it was her woman's intuition that was buzzing, or her keen swordswoman senses, she did not know. She could not describe the strange feelings that she'd had so far this day, other than some strange sense of foreboding.

Unable to quell this disquiet through meals, her husband's companionship, or even deep meditation, she did something she used to do before she had been married. She took to patrolling her family's grounds. The guardsman whose usual job was the night patrol nearly threw a fit for being given a night off, as duty and honor-bound as all her family's servants. Still, she was able to persuade him, a breath short of a direct order, to allow her to do as she wished and patrol the grounds once again.

She could see the lightning strikes playing through the clouds. The thunder rolled somewhere off in the distance, the clouds promising a heavy rain, though they were reluctant to release their bounty. She tipped her hat forward a little to better shield her from the wind that was kicking up, blowing the grasses about in every which way. Her bird alighted on her shoulder, for a moment's rest, having no wish to be buffeted by the strong winds now blowing.

Tsuruko smelled the change in the air, now, the moment was drawing near. What it would bring she did not know, but there was something coming, some danger, some portent, something. The lightnings in the sky played harder, as if something was disturbing the clouds themselves. She tipped her hat back briefly in surprise, seeing something she did not expect. Surely, no cloud had ever shown lightning like that. The disturbance seemed to be centered somewhere within the clouds, and it was within her family's estate.

Determined not to be caught off guard by whatever it might be, perhaps some new demon wishing to eradicate the Shinmeiryu for the sating of their centuries long feud, or something else, she knew and had felt what was coming; she raced over, hand already on her sword, her bird off her shoulder and gliding slowly beside her, not wishing to impede.

Tsuruko stopped, being near the disturbance, but having no wish to get caught underneath it, she simply stood as she was and watched it, mentally preparing herself for the battle that was to come. She could see now the purple, black, and blue lightnings arcing over what may have been some kind of hole in the sky.

Due to the darkness, there was little she could make out, but for some strange reason, the demon-hole appeared to be closing. No, it was closed, as the strange lightning bolts she had seen before were gone. She rushed over again, her keen eyes playing over the landscape, trying to find any unpleasant surprises that may have been left behind for her family.

A loud thump to her right rear alerted her to the presence of something nearby, though she felt no demons anywhere nearby, so she turned quickly, drawing her sword with lightning speed, creating the winds that were her family's trademark, unleashing an arc of wind blades toward whatever opponent was in that direction.

Her wind blades pushed at something on the ground, causing it to shift slightly and roll along the plains, though its form confused her slightly, as the only possible shape for what she had struck would either be some kind of gigantic slug, or else a humanoid corpse of some kind. She carefully sheathed her blade and began to give chase, curious as to what was going on.

Whatever it was, the object stopped as soon as her wind blade dissipated, and Tsuruko Aoyama, first class demon slayer of the Shinmeiryu clan, kept her sword between her would-be assailant and herself, wary of any demon-tricks in the making. She took a moment to gaze carefully at what was on the ground before her, analyzing her enemy with as great a care as she was able to muster.

Her enemy appeared to be a young man, well-built and wearing tattered clothing of a style she could not identify. His long hair was untied and disheveled, falling around the glass in disarray. He bore a scar beneath his left eye, and many others besides it. Apart from the scars were many wounds, the source of which could not have been her wind blade; she put little power into it, attempting to test and gauge her opponent by their reaction.

Her manner tense and guarded, she proceeds to prod the male with her sword gently, not wishing to wound him in any way past the damage already done to him.

"Daijobu? Are you all right?" she says warily, her nerves tense, as she heard a couple of loud splats, the first signs of rain.

He did not respond, he did not move, but her keen hearing could make out the sounds of his ragged breathing, so she knew he was alive. She calmed herself and concentrated, doing what she could to sense his aura, whatever ki he might possess.

Unable to see much, due either perhaps to his unconscious state, or his wounded nature, she could only be sure of two things by what she could sense of his aura. This boy, or man, was likely dying, by the fluttering of his energy that she sensed, and he was no demon. Far from it, she could detect no evil within him.

In her deep concentration, she almost missed another thud nearby. She whirled in the direction the sound had come, her sword in a guard position, ready to counterattack at any sneak attack that would come, but all she could see outlined in the strike of lightning that lit up the sky was this: a pair of large swords, a bow, and a quiver.

At that point, Tsuruko realized that a good man lay on her lawn dying, and she stood there, now slowly becoming soaked by the rain that was coming down in sheets; it almost appeared that the rain was coming down even harder than possible, in order to make up for holding it in earlier.

She put away her sword in haste, endeavoring to wipe it off once entering the house, and quickly fastened the weapons that had fallen out of the sky as best she could to her person. She then hefted the fallen individual up and over her shoulder, and began making her way to the house as quickly as possible.

As her adrenaline slowly went away from the would-be battle, she realized something as she carried the stranger towards the family house, calling for medics and blankets and towels to be brought. That feeling she had before had not gone away as of yet. Indeed... if anything, it now had a focus... the young man in her arms.


	2. Chapter 1: The Stranger and Hinata Inn

**::Chapter 1::**

**::The Stranger and Hinata Inn::**

**Location: Shinmeiryu Training Grounds**

Though her family was slightly alarmed as she came in from the rain soaked, there was more shock when they found she carried an unconscious man in her arms. The surgeons and servants that Tsuruko had called for were all rushing at her behest, the servants helping her out of her wet clothes and into dryer ones, some of them assisting the surgeons with the body of the young man.

The surgeons began to carefully remove his clothing from his body, taking great care so as to not further disturb his wounds. The clothes were slowly peeled off, revealing a muscled and highly toned physique, marred only by the vast quantity scars that this young man bore. One of the servants was so sick they had to leave, the surgeons themselves blanched upon seeing what a state the stranger was in. Even Tsuruko, her husband, and her parents, paled at the sight he was in.

"Wife, what sort of man have you brought here tonight?" exclaimed Tsuruko's husband, staring at a man so young, having led such a life as to have led him to where he is now.

"I do not know, husband. All I can say is that he is an injured man who needs our help. Past that, I am unsure." Tsuruko is now changed into drier clothes, her sword still at her hip, holding three strange articles before her.

"What is that, my daughter, and where did this youth come from?" asks the Shinmeiryu matriarch, only slightly startled by this strange intrusion into what would be an otherwise peaceful night.

"He fell from the sky, mother. These are two swords, a longbow, and a quiver. I do not know if they are his, but they fell shortly after he did." She hands one of the swords to her father, one to her husband, and gives her mother the bow, allowing them to inspect the articles.

"Intriguing styles on the hilts, here, wife, but these swords are not Japanese in make, or even katanas. Much more cannot be said, for I cannot unsheathe the blade!" He turns to the Shinmeiryu patriarch, receiving a nod in agreement, calling for servants to place the blades somewhere safe for further inspection.

"This is a fine bow, my dear, but I'm afraid it's strung for one much stronger than I, and from the way that young man was built, I'd say he'd be able to use it with ease," says Tsuruko's mother after having tested the bow, pulling on the string, feeling along it's length, sighting across the bow stave. Another servant is called to take away the bow, and Tsuruko hands them the quiver as well.

Everyone gazes at him, as the surgeons begin their deft work to disinfect his wounds, sew up those too large, and bandage the others in an attempt to keep further blood loss at a minimum. Tsuruko can still feel the strange sense of foreboding in her temples, almost like a sinus headache, and the more she focused on it, the more it had to do with this young man.

"We can only hope that when he awakens, he will have some answers to the questions we will have for him." Tsuruko said, shaking her head as she leaves the room, pulling her husband along with her, determined to get some sleep so that her mind can be at ease.

**Location: Shinmeiryu Training Grounds**

**Time: 1 week later**

Tsuruko mused over the past week's events, curious now as to what could be the reason for her senses to decide still that this stranger was the harbinger of some unknown doom. Truth yet, she would only think of him as stranger when it came to what danger he might bring, for his name was known, and he was spoken of in hushed tones through the estate.

It began when he awoke on the first day of his stay with the Aoyama family, as a servant was simply making the guest room that they had moved him to more presentable, when she passed by his inert form, and realized that his eyes were open.

She bowed down, scared, but began to speak, assuring him that everything was all right, and introducing herself. His hazel eyes flickered from brown to green in the sunlight that was shining in through the shared in the room, and he responded in a tongue that she did not recognize. She repeated herself and he responded again, this time his speech flowed, almost as if musical, the sunlight danced on his face as he did, and after her third attempt at an introduction, his face tightened in concentration, he opened his mouth and in perfect Japanese, advised her not to worry.

Realizing that she was a servant, he bade her summon the lord and lady of the manor, and at the formality in his tone and words, she nodded her ascent. Such is how Tsuruko came to see a man whose wounds would have meant death for any other, stretching out his body with great care and preparation. She had abandoned her gi and hakama for a more traditional robe, though of such care that its value was easily seen.

When he realized her entry, he stopped his stretching exercises, favoring her with a deep and courtly bow, as if he were at a noble's court or a grand palace. She bowed in return, wondering at such refined courtesy from such a young man. After they both rose from their bow, he knelt before her in a different sort of ceremony, one she was unaccustomed to, but facing the ground, one fist placed as if he was punching the ground, his other hand at his belt, gripping something that was not there, one knee down on the ground, he spoke.

"My lady, you have my deepest gratitude for the binding of my wounds and the hospitality you have shown me. I pledge my name in defense of thy house, such as it is."

He rises carefully, with a proud bearing in his demeanor. He looks Tsuruko in the eyes, and she almost gasps at what she can read in them, and of him, now that he is awake and his aura is clearer to her.

"My name is William Kinair, of the Family Kinair, last of my line, Lord of Remsor, and leader of the Equestrian Guild. Such services as I may proffer are yours to command, my lady."

Such noble words, such a strong bearing, Tsuruko had never seen in so young a man before. Even though most of his upper body covered by bandages, his lower body was in a hakama, as his own clothes were being tended to by a seamstress in the family's employ, he looked as if he would do the first task she set to him.

She had been surprised, but she decided to leave things as they were. His eyes had strayed to his things in the room, but only for a moment. They had a short discussion, with Tsuruko realizing that wherever William came from, he was not of this time, or perhaps even of this world.

She allowed William to assist with various tasks around the house, after his miraculous recovery, she surmised he could do no harm assisting with minor tasks around the house. The servants and other people of the house were taken with him, courteous, kind, lending his help quickly and deftly to any who asked. Oddly enough, for someone with such fluent Japanese, he spent a great deal of his time within the Shinmeiryu library, asking for assistance from the caretaker of said building with learning how to read their tongue, for whatever means that allowed him to speak it, did not allow him to read it.

So Tsuruko continued musing about this stranger in their midst, this anomaly. Obviously a gaijin, but his manner was so close to that of their long dead samurai, it only further served to drive home the fact that he was not of their world. What truly molested Tsuruko though, was the fact that his wounds did not appear to be healing as they should have, especially considering how well he seems to have recovered, awakening from his grievous injuries with barely a night's rest. Over a week now, and he had progressed very little, and she had summoned the surgeons and medics treating him for some sort of diagnosis from them.

Finally, they had arrived, and Tsuruko began to discuss with them William's condition and how soon he would recover. Though they looked ill at ease, they began to speak of his condition, and finally, they rendered their verdict. None of the activities William had been performing should have hampered his healing or reopened his wounds, and some of them felt that he had acquired new wounds, although on his scarred body, they could not truly be sure what was new or old.

This news troubled Tsuruko greatly, her mien had not changed much, but she could be seen concentrating, and she said nothing for a brief pair of moments. She realized her silence, and asked her surgeons to leave her so she could consider what she needed to do with this information.

After her surgeons left, she turned to the other entryway into the audience room, and smiled a soft knowing smile.

"You can come in now, although eavesdropping is not a good practice to get into the habit of," she spoke, motioning for whoever was there to join her in the audience room. In entered a young girl who had been training with them, her family having been long allies of the Shinmeiryu clan, and a personal friend of the Aoyama family.

"Sensei," she spoke timidly, walking into the room, her face pale, although Tsuruko could not tell if it was from having been caught or from what she had heard. Many of the young swordswomen within the training grounds had especially taken a liking to the young stranger, for he was certainly a dashing figure, a stranger from another land, kind, soft spoken, strong. Tsuruko often heard muted sighs whenever William walked into a room where the girls were, for he had taken to the practice of not wearing anything up top, in order not to disturb the bandages, and his broad shoulders, tanned skin and rippling muscles were quite a sight.

The young student, Sakura, knelt before her sensei, placing her practice sword at ease, giving Tsuruko a weak smile. She fidgeted slightly with her hands in her lap, as she breathed rapidly, seemingly nervous at being in the presence of what could be the school's greatest warrior.

"Come now, Sakura, there's no need to be nervous. I will hold no blame for your eavesdropping, so long as you do not repeat it. Now, can you tell me what has you so nervous, for you normally take your punishment with much better grace than this."

"Sensei, I, I was eavesdropping, and, I, I, I'm so sorry, sensei, I've kept something from you when I should not have," she said, bowing in obeisance, her voice breaking slightly as she speaks.

"Now, Sakura, please, be calm and tell me what has you so upset, and while I do not approve, never fear that I shall not hear you out," Tsuruko bade the student rise and continue, her face calm but her insides churning slightly as to what Sakura's revelation might be, her strange feeling of dread having risen again in response to the discussion she had with her surgeons, hitting her harder now that Sakura was here in such a state.

"Well, Sensei, it was like this. You remember how Kinair-sama had been helping some of us with our archery, well, I promised him that after I got a bull's-eye I would bring him the ribbon to show him. He smiled at me, and I knew I would do my best just so I could show him that I had listened and was improving, and he told me to feel free to bring over the ribbon as soon as I won it. So I practiced hard while I was at the archery range, and finished my duties as quickly as I could, and I went back to the range for a little more practice. Finally, as it was nearing twilight, I did it, I got my first bull's-eye! I was so happy I could burst. I put up my bow, and the Master at the archery range, who had been waiting for me to finish, gladly presented me with my ribbon for achieving my bull's-eye. I ran over to where I knew Kinair-sama was staying, but it had grown dark while I had put away my bow. On the way to the guest house, I saw what appeared to be three strangers in front of me, and was surprised, for I did not believe that there would be strangers in the manor unescorted. I decided I would see what they were doing, and as I got closer, I realized they were some sort of monsters!" Sakura finished almost in a shriek, the fright of that moment coming back to her as clearly as if she had been there.

"Monsters?" said Tsuruko, her eyebrow raised. "Surely not so, Sakura. You know just as well as I do that we have capable warriors here always on watch who can sense any such evil on the manor grounds."

Sakura shook her head emphatically, her lips pressed tightly together, her hands tight on her blade. She took a deep breath to calm herself and decided to continue.

"Sensei, I am sure they were monsters, for their flesh had come off in ragged patches, and I could see some of their insides, I could even smell the stench of death coming from them. There were four of the monsters, the first three still having a bit of flesh here or there, the fourth was mostly bones, and while the first three were wearing normal garb, the fourth, even though all bones, had on some sort of strange robe. My courage left me, and I decided to run for help, I knew I was dead if I stayed, but then I heard an evil cackle, and I could see the skeleton's jaw falling up and down, and something pushed itself into my skull, and I could not move. Whether it was fear or something else, at this point, I do not know," Sakura continued her tale, Tsuruko a rapt audience, realizing from the girl's words and her aura that she was telling the truth, worse yet, she had been unaware of the presence of these foul beasts, and this began to worry her.

"So I was stuck there, I couldn't move, and I could see these monsters getting closer, being egged on by what appeared to be their leader behind them, that nasty bag of bones. They were so close to me, I could feel the end near, so I closed my eyes, unable to stand it any more, when I felt a strong gust hit me, and then I heard a voice, I thought it was the Kami himself, but the voice was familiar, and it said 'Congratulations on your bull's-eye Sakura-chan.'"

"I opened my eyes and Kinair-sama was standing there, a sword at his hip, and one at his back. 'Please, Sakura-chan, leave, I shall take care of this.' He asked me, and I realized that while I could not move, I was still capable of speech. I told him that I could not. He then turned to me from facing the monsters and smiled confidently, 'Well then, let me deal with this little matter here, and then you can go back to your quarters and get some sleep.' He then turned to the beasts before us, and placed his hand at the sword on his side. I heard that evil cackle again, and saw the skeleton face Kinair-sama, and he became as still as a stone, and I feared the same that had happened to him had happened to me."

"Fear filled me again as I heard an unearthly voice speak. 'The Warrior has succumbed to my arts, go, and feast on the flesh of the young maiden.' I began to whimper, as the monsters picked up speed, coming in a mad dash for me, seemingly ignoring the presence of Kinair-sama. At that very moment, he struck, oh Sensei, he was amazing. Faster than I could have thought possible his sword was out, three quick strikes that I heard rather than saw, and the monsters had stopped. Bursting into ash before us, it had appeared that Kinair-sama had not moved, for his sword was in its sheath again. It was almost like I was in a movie, Sensei."

"Their leader, a staff in its hands, rushed forward and Kinair-sama rushed forward to meet him, and when they met, his first swing cleaved right through the monster's staff, his second thrust would have struck in the monster's heart, if it had had one. Still, it seemed enough, for it turned to dust as had the others, and I found that I could move again. I got up and showed Kinair-sama the ribbon that I'd been clutching at for dear life itself."

"When he saw it, he looked at me and smiled, he told me that if I kept up my practice in archery and swordsmanship, and gave it my all, I'd be great someday. He then looked around for a moment, and I couldn't see his face, but he then told me that it would be a good time for me to get to sleep. Before I left, I ran up and gave him a hug, which seemed to surprise him, but he put his arms back around me, and he told me then that there was no need for anyone else to know about this, and I wasn't sure what he meant, but decided to keep the whole night's events quiet."

Tsuruko stares at Sakura in shock, unsure if she can believe this truly astounding story. Undead in her home, and neither she nor a single one of her warriors was able to sense them. This would definitely bear further investigation, and she realized that today was going to be an interesting day. Sakura had continued while Tsuruko was contemplating.

"But I was walking by here on my way to the archery range and I heard your discussion with the medics, and I realized that I had made a mistake by not telling anyone what had happened. Though he didn't get any that night, he was sword fighting, and his wounds, and," Tsuruko put up a hand to stop Sakura, understanding exactly the point the young maiden was trying to get across.

"Your point is well taken, Sakura. Thank you for informing me of this, now go on and practice, I'll have some words with the young warrior," Tsuruko dismissed Sakura to continue her practice, and then summoned one of the servants.

"Summon William Kinair to my presence, and advise him that he should come fully armed," Tsuruko said, with a strange look to which the servant paled, summoning their injured guest armed was certainly odd practice, but as it is not a servant's place to question, he quickly rushed to do as he was commanded.

Tsuruko then realized that she would have a small window of time before the young swordsman arrived. She realized it would be a good time to meditate and concentrate on what had been happening, to see if she could glean any further insight into the situation. She began to concentrate her meditations focusing on this new evil, and on the young warrior William Kinair.

Her sight was beginning to focus now, clearly, on a small aura of light, that she could recognize as William, flaring brightly within a smothering darkness, intent filled with evil and hatred. She could see as the light that was William bounced around, cutting out smothering patches of darkness, but while it was a valiant effort, the darkness only receded a little. She pushed further into the time, to get a sense of the coming future, to understand the dark foreboding she had felt since William had arrived, and she then saw an ally for the young warrior, this one had the distinctive ki signature of someone trained in the arts of the Shinmeiryu, but because of the haziness of the vision she could not determine who it was. Still, the evil intent had started to coalesce and focus, and the darkness was now focusing on the distinctive ki signature of one of her warriors, but she could not tell who, and it was focusing on that signature with a desperation she had never felt before, as if the very key to their defeat lay in that signature.

Suddenly, for one split second, her focus became crystal, and she could see people and events rather than signatures, she saw with a great shock that the figure was her sister, and now she could actually feel her life in danger. She opened her eyes in a cold sweat, staring at the wall before her. She began to think quickly, realizing that her sister, Motoko was in need of protection and that for some reason, William would have to be the one to give it to her. She had felt that in her meditation as well.

She began to formulate a plan, and she wondered just how much her sister would dislike this latest scheme of Tsuruko's. She smiled, and began to make various arrangements as William arrived in her study. Plans were struck, and discussions had, and so began the foundation for what Tsuruko hoped would save Motoko's life.

**Location: The steps of Hinatasou**

**Time: 2 weeks later**

William felt a little apprehensive as he stared at the Inn Tsuruko had asked him to stay at, reading the sign from a distance, 'All Girls Dormitory'. He had stabled the Aoyama's horse and walked the rest of the way here. From what Tsuruko had told him, and from long and painful experience, he knew that women were quite often nothing but trouble, but still, as a man, he would never allow any woman to come to harm, not so long as he continued to draw breath upon this Earth.

William's musings were cut short by what appeared to be an explosion somewhere in the Inn. Perhaps that Su person that had been mentioned, a young foreigner with a knack for mechanized destruction. What William did not expect was the small body he saw flying from the explosion. With the practice of a seasoned hero, he gauged the arc and positioned himself, catching the helpless young girl before the fall could do her any harm.

Shinobu had known that having Su work on one of her inventions in the kitchen would be a bad idea, but so had wanted to, and Shinobu relented, not really wanting to be a bother in that way. So, she had been right, as usual, and her reward for it was a trip out the window as she ran away from Su's exploding failure at repairing some odd model of Mecha-Tama. She was quite afraid of how much it would hurt to land on the cold stone floor that was the outside of Hinatasou, but what Shinobu landed on was nowhere near as hard as she expected it to be. It was also very warm. What truly surprised her was that it spoke, even if in a Japanese more formal than she was accustomed to.

"Art thou all right, young one?" William asks of the young girl, whose eyes are scrunched closed at the prospect of hitting pavement after the explosion that launched her out the window. He watches her slowly open her eyes in shock as she realizes not only that she is uninjured but at the position she happens to be in. A slight blush begins to creep onto her face and her stomach starts to flutter.

Shinobu can barely believe her eyes as she opens them, as she looks into the hazel eyes of the man who is her rescuer. With soft brown hair framing his face, eyes full of warmth and kindness, he smiles at Shinobu, who blushes even more fiercely than usual. Her breathing quickens, as she stares at him, dressed like a hero out of a Western fairy tale. She can feel his strong arms on her body, and the warmth exuding from him, and realizes that he's spoken to her, asking if she is all right, in a smooth voice, filled with concern.

"Thank you, sir, for saving me." She says as he gently sets her down on her own two feet, and she bows to him in gratitude. He bows to her in return, but not as the Japanese bow, and she gazes at him strangely.

"It would not do for such a lovely young lady to come to harm where I could do something to stop it now, would it? I appreciate your gratitude, and would ask if this is Hinatasou." Though William is sure, after having seen the explosion and having heard tales of the place from Tsuruko, he feels it best to start the conversation somewhere safe, remembering all the troubles he's had with women in the past.

"Auu... Auu... um.. yes, this is Hinatasou." Shinobu clutches her hands in front of her in slight shock. Did he just call her a lovely young lady? He was looking at her with those eyes, and he was so tall, and handsome.

William rose from his bow, picking up a duffel bag that he'd dropped to the floor before catching Shinobu, he strode towards Hinatasou, leaving a confused and bewildered young girl behind.

Kaolla Su runs up to Shinobu, realizing that she's all right, and has a strange look on her face, stops short, seeing the man who is headed towards Hinatasou, wonders what's going on.

"Shinobu, you okay? Sorry 'bout the explosion. Who's that guy over there?" She peppers Shinobu with questions, while all Shinobu can do is stare at the tall figure walking away, shaking her head.

"I... I have no idea. I am definitely going to find out." Shinobu states with a determination that is unlike her. She begins to walk purposefully towards the dormitory, leaving a smiling Su behind her, who shakes her head and speaks to herself.

"Looks like more fun times a-coming." Su says, and bounds after Shinobu and the mysterious stranger, smiling to her as she considers what will come of this new development, as she had grown bored with life at Hinatasou lately.


	3. Chapter 2: Meeting Hinatasou's Manager

**::Chapter 2::**

**::Meeting Hinatasou's Manager::**

**Location: Hinatasou**

William confidently walks up the steps to Hinatasou, curious as to what awaits him inside the doors of the strange inn. So far he's been greeted by explosions and falling girls. Truthfully, recalling all that he has been through, he's had worse receptions. At least nobody appeared to be threatening his life at this point, always a bonus.

He made his way forward as he gazed at the Japanese structure, admiring the building from the outside. It appeared an older structure, from what little he knew, but it had stood the test of time fairly well. While he noticed the occasional sign of shoddy repair, it appeared that this inn had been through quite a bit.

He ceases his musings as he notes the doors to the Inn, almost as if beckoning him inside. He takes a deep breath and opens the doors, poking his head in and looking about for anyone. He notes a tall individual sporting a white coat wearing a pair of small wire-rimmed glasses leaning close and speaking in hushed tones to an attractive older woman wearing a purple shirt , khaki shorts, a black apron, and black stockings with a cigarette sticking out of her mouth. He had taken Tsuruko's stories and descriptions to heart, but had no wish to give too much away, so he decided to break their conversation with his query.

"Begging your pardon, but is this Hinata Inn?" He asks of the two, who break apart, blushing slightly. The female, who he assumes is Urashima Haruka gives him an appraising look and raises an eyebrow slightly, her eyes betraying little of her actual demeanor.

The other places his hands in his pocket, pushing his glasses more firmly onto where they rest, as he looks into William's eyes, trying to gauge what sort of man he had just met. His relaxed pose suggested little action, but William knew that Seta Noriyasu was a martial artist, and indeed, while he appeared nonchalant, his pose was carefully set to be mere seconds away from readiness. In truth, William knew much of that attitude, and was in a very similar pose as he sized the man up.

Seta had spent much time traveling the world, learning much and meeting all kinds of people on his archaeology digs and in the exotic locales he had visited. He had never seen a man like this, with a standing so noble, so sure of himself, as if he ruled the space around him. He walked like violence waiting to happen, and the two swords on his back did nothing to alleviate that impression. A longbow and an intricate quiver full of arrows, clothing that appeared to come out of a European fairy tale. Garb that appeared to originate from the Renaissance or even the Dark Ages, dressed like a noble or even perhaps royalty. What gave Seta further pause were his eyes. Eyes that are kind, sullen, haunted, and fierce. This man was dangerous, at the very least, and in response Seta took a guarded step in Haruka's direction, just in case.

William saw Seta make a protective step towards Haruka, and acknowledged the man with a nod, while Haruka noticed this, she did nothing to stop Seta or the stranger within her presence.

"Yes, this is Hinata Inn. Can I help you?" Haruka looks him over again, taking what stock of him she can. She notes that he speaks perfect Japanese, albeit formal, but his face certainly was not that of any Japanese male. He carried two immense swords that looked quite lethal, and she imagined that he probably knew how to use them. She wondered what Motoko would make of him, but for now she just needed to know what he wanted.

"Good. Then I am at the right place. Might I speak with the manager of this establishment? I have business with him." William spoke clearly, his voice soft but demanding as he gazed calmly at the two inhabitants, closing the door behind him.

Haruka glances over at Seta for a moment, and he gives her a confirming nod. She waves him over and starts to walk further into the Inn, where William hopes he will be lead to the infamous Urashima Keitaro, current dorm manager. Shinobu and Su walk in and look at Seta, who gives them a smile, but Shinobu ignores it as she looks around for he who rescued her.

Meanwhile, William follows Haruka into the inn further, gazing at its inside carefully, looking around and noting various points of entry and exit into the compound, planning ahead for the duty placed before him. He was still curious as to Tsuruko's purpose in sending him here, of what she asked him, but as he had little direction at this point since arriving upon this world, and in truth, he wanted to learn all about the changes between this world and his, and so here he was. This place did not look terribly defensible, so he began to ponder other ways to fulfill his objective.

He heard a couple of animated voices in the direction that he and Haruka were headed. He surmised that this would be the Inn's manager, he hopes, but he was curious as to the female voice he was also hearing. Still, he focused more on his surroundings and his thoughts than on what he is hearing. At this point William did not sense any minions of evil, but he knew that couldn't last forever. Tsuruko and her clan would continue to fight the undead appearing at her manor, and while he didn't think that she would have the same thoughts as he, he knew deep in his heart that they were here in this world after him. What else would explain the fact that Tsuruko's men and family, even she herself, were all unable to sense the evil within the undead minions. This was an evil from his world, and it sought him, as it always had.

He stops short of bumping into Haruka, who has stopped and is staring at William, who is lost in his thoughts. She can see that something troubles him from the frown upon his face, but he sees her gazing at him, and he quickly adopts a more relaxed smile, something akin to what Seta-san was wearing. Seeing this, Haruka humphs and motions to the door with her thumb. William nods in understanding and Haruka begins to walk away, but it's only a moment before she stops and turns back to him.

"Whatever business you have with my nephew, cause trouble and I'll make you pay for it." She said, turning around and walking away from him with not so much as another word or glance, William looked at her, intrigued. He then decided to speak to her retreating form.

"As is your will, Urashima Haruka." He was given the rare pleasure of seeing her startled slightly, but she continued on as if nothing had happened. He then adjusted his neck slightly to where he received a slight crack, straightened out his clothes, and smoothed his hand through his hair.

The conversation that had been coming from the room is now silent, and as William is unsure as to what's going on, he decides to knock on the door gently. He receives no answer, shakes his head, and tries again. Once again, he received no answer, and was curious as to whether or not there was really anyone in this room.

He decided to open the door and make sure that everything was all right, and he found a pair involved in quite the make-out session, with all kinds of books and papers in front of them. He watched them both carelessly toss aside their glasses as the male, who he assumed was Urashima Keitaro, lay the female down. William decides that now is as good a time as any to interrupt, and clears his throat loudly.

The pair open their eyes momentarily at the distraction, and it takes a pair of seconds for them to realize that they have an audience, and a stranger at that. Their reaction is both instantaneous and panicked, as Keitaro pulls back from the young girl slightly breathless, she tries to pull back, bumping her head on the floor.

Keitaro immediately apologizes, as the young girl rubs the back of her head, he helps her to sit back up. She has an angry look on her face, and her fist is clenched tightly, William can see the veins coming out of her forehead. She reaches her fist back with muscles tight, and launches it forward with a scream of 'Keitaro YOU BAKA!' sending her fist forward with all its might.

William cringes slightly from the blow that will come, but as her fist flies forward, all that Keitaro receives is a small tap on the cheek, as they both start to laugh sharing of some joke that is between the two of them. They both then realize the reason for their discomfort and the break to their make-out session and both begin to stammer as they search for their glasses. William smiles as they both frantically search for them, bumping into each other more than once, and finally they find him and turn to him; he regards them both with a serious look on his face.

"Can I help you with something?" The man assumed to be Urashima says moving what appears to be protectively in front of the female. She looks at William from a round pair of glasses that scrutinize his form. William kneels down before them, as if he were sitting to a normal Japanese meal and gazes at them both intensely.

"My name is William Kinair, of the family Kinair. I have come, strangely enough, for your help." Urashima mouths the word help to himself as both he and his girlfriend wonder what sort of assistance Urashima could give to this man. The stranger, now identified as William Kinair then proceeded to do something strange. First, he put down a duffel bag that he'd been carrying with him, and he also removed two incredibly large swords from a strange harness upon his back. He also removed his quiver from his back, and his unstrung longbow as well. He reached into his duffel bag and rooted around in it for a moment, and pulled out a scroll case. He then handed the scroll case reverently to Urashima Keitaro.

"As I suppose that you are Urashima Keitaro, and Manager of this establishment, I was instructed to deliver this to you. Once you have read this, I will do my best to answer any further questions you may have." William takes a deep breath, and waits for Keitaro and his girlfriend to begin to read it, closing his eyes as he does so.

Keitaro begins to open the scroll case, noting what appeared to be a familiar sigil upon it. Once the scroll case was opened, there was a wax seal upon the scroll, bearing another familiar looking symbol. The contents of the letter were as such:

_Dear Urashima-san:_

_If this missive appears in your hands, then the messenger I sent will have done his job as I expected, and surely with little time to spare. This young man who sits before you, though his actions might state otherwise, is a youth of your age. Now I'm sure you're wondering what kind of scheme I have cooked up for you and my sister again, but do not worry, you who could have been my brother-in- law. The way you acquitted yourself in the earlier said scheme, I feel that you can be of great help once again. I have seen things, in my meditation, that show the time to come to be very dangerous for my younger sister. I still want her to inherit the God's Cry School, as well as experience all the joy that life has to offer her. Now surely you would say that my sister is more than capable of protecting herself, but it is always the enemy one cannot see that is their doom. To this end, I have sent this young man, my messenger, to Hinatasou. Now, having deal with sorcery and demons yourself, Urashima-san, I can safely say to you, without fear of you thinking me insane. William Kinair of the family Kinair, as he styles himself, is a man who is not of this world. He is a powerful warrior from another world, a crusader against evil, just as our clan is. The magic that propelled him here does not appear to be a kind that can be easily duplicated from this world, so there appears to be no way for us to send him back. Truly, he confides in me that even were he to go back, he has little left to do, having somehow accomplished some important quest, having lost all of his loved ones in some sort of climactic battle. He seems hesitant to speak of it, understandable considering what that pain must be like. He has decided to make his own way in this world. We spoke at length, and he has tested for high school equivalency and now wishes to study and get into a good school. Naturally, I suggested Toudai. Though he comes from a world that is technically of the past, he has picked up very quickly whatever learning we've offered him, and I believe he will continue to excel, given the chance. He has already signed up for an exam prep course, ready to pay his dues just as a certain ronin once did. Still, that is not what is at the heart of my letter. _

_Urashima-san, I ask of you kindly, please, allow this young man to stay at Hinatasou, as my sister's life is in danger. I have seen things, in the future, of a great danger to my sister. What frightens and confuses me is that while this man stands at the heart of it, so too, does he appear as my sister's sole savior. I trust you to make the right decision, Urashima Keitaro, but I also implore you to speak with this young man, William. I believe his kind heart and his noble demeanor will help you make the right decision. _

_Signed,_

_Aoyama Tsuruko_

_God's Cry School_

_P.S. Please don't tell my sister that William has been sent here by me to protect her. You know how she is with that fierce pride of hers, I fear the damage that will be done once she learns of this, so let's try to keep this our little secret, shall we?_

With the letter having been read, Keitaro hands it to his girlfriend wordlessly, a look of shock upon his face as he stares at the young man before him, who's eyes are now open and studying him intently. Keitaro looks at the man's weapons, all lain to the side, and gulps slightly as he waits for his girlfriend to finish reading.

"Well, Naru-chan, what do you think?" he asks his girlfriend who puts the scroll down carefully, adjusting her glasses as she gazes at William, who gazes back at her calmly. She fusses with some of the papers left on their desk, doing her best to arrange them into some semblance of order.

"I'm... I'm not too sure, Keitaro-kun, this is all so sudden, and strange. Besides, Hinatasou is an all girls dormitory. Certainly, anyone can tell by looking that this is a man! God only knows if he's trustworthy, or some kind of pervert, or, or," Naru stammers into incoherency, realizing that the subject of her insults is sitting right before her, and is much larger than either her love Keitaro, or her one time crush Seta, and if his weapons are anything to go by, capable of inflicting pain upon those near him. William's face is passive as he listens to her, while Keitaro does his best to calm and shush her.

"I only ask, my lady, that you give me time to prove to you the true gentleman that I am. Never have I been perverse, ignoble, or unkind in my dealings with the fairer sex, and I shall not begin now." He speaks, his voice clear and unwavering, his eyes never leaving Naru's, and she gasps softly at his directness, looking back into his hazel eyes, brown with green flecks. Keitaro looks between the two of them, and cuts into the conversation.

"Kinair-san, this has and will always be an all-girls dormitory. While I would like to accommodate you, I don't think the other tenants would take too kindly, and I really can't keep calling Hinatasou such if I allow you to stay here. I'm the only adult male who's ever stayed here at length, and such is only because I am their manager, and now owner of the Inn, as bequeathed by my Granny Hina." Keitaro prepares to continue, but he sees William bowing in obeisance to him, almost as if pleading with him.

"Urashima-sama, I ask again, I shall beg if necessary, to be allowed to stay here. I am a stranger to this world, and fear that without those who are as understanding as yourself in this strange new world, that I will not be given the opportunity to succeed. I shall fail not only in creating a life for myself here, but also in the charge that Tsuruko-san has laid upon me, accepted for the gratitude I have for their family caring for me in my time of need." Keitaro stares at the young man in shock, as Naru looks at him, closing the book she had just placed some papers into, a thought coming to her head.

"Keitaro-kun, I have an idea. You are very far behind in your studies, what with everything that's happened, and even without the fact that you need to catch up, how will you keep up with your duties as karinrin and be a full-time Toudai student?" Naru suggests lightly, pulling on Keitaro's sleeve as she speaks, urging him to accept the compromise, in truth hoping to find more time with her boyfriend as lately all he has done is either study or work. Keitaro looks at her, scratching his head and laughing a bit.

"Narusegawa, that sounds like a great idea. Still, I'll have to run it by the other girls. Would you mind that, William, being my assistant here? You'd collect the rent from the girls, do general handyman work, cleaning, and just generally keep an eye on things here." Keitaro describes his former duties, wondering if William will find them just as hard as he did.

William rises from his position slightly, looking them straight in the face as he considers. He truly did need to stay here, not so much for acceptance, or for gaining entry to Toudai, as he imagined he could accomplish that from anywhere, but it would be nice to have people who understood something about him, and he also needed to be here if he was to protect Tsuruko's sister from whatever grizzly fate her sister deemed awaited her.

"I accept your offer, Urashima-sama. You mentioned that you would need to 'run it by' the other tenants?" William raises an eyebrow inquisitively, and Keitaro chuckles to himself.

"Yes, the girls here usually get a vote on whether or not they will accept any changes here at the Inn, and now is as good as any time for you to meet them." Keitaro stands, taking Narusegawa's hand and helping her up; William rose from his kneeling position after them, gathering up his belongings and he follows them out of the room towards what he presumes, from the scorch marks and hole, to be the site of the latest explosion at Hinatasou.

Keitaro called out to the other girls to join them, Sarah, Shinobu, Kaolla Su, Kitsune, and Motoko. William slowly ticked off the names, realizing that it was all of them, and he saw Seta and Haruka overlooking the damage in the inn, near the kitchen. William decided to leave his things out in the living area, on a table there, while the others all gathered at the dinner table.

William saw them all gathered at the table now, as he moved once again towards the kitchen after depositing his weapons elsewhere. There was the young blue-haired girl he had caught. A dark-skinned blonde girl with her hair in a single wild ponytail, wearing what he now knew was a schoolgirl's uniform. Another younger blonde, this one fair-skinned, wearing overalls, and a red hat, was scowling at Keitaro and making some rude comments William couldn't quite make out over all the general racket that was being made at the table. The newest addition, bottle of sakè in hand, had short well-kept gray hair. She appeared to be of about Narusegawa's age, and certainly had quite the figure. Something about the look on her face made him wary, but he decided to let it be, and he strode out to meet them.

All of them turned now as they heard him coming, each of them reacting in a different way to his approach. The young blue-haired girl he had saved suddenly became quiet, and looked at him shyly as he approached. The dark-skinned blonde smiled broadly, in a way that disconcerted William somewhat. Seta gave him a nod that William returned, an unconscious acceptance between warriors. Haruka gazed at him with a passive face, the same face William imagined she gave to everyone. The younger blonde sized him up and scowled, looking at him suspiciously. The girl with the gray hair gave him a slow once over, her mouth slightly open, and a gleam in her eyes, and there grew a pensive look upon her mien. Keitaro warmly waved William over, and bade him have a seat. The rest of the girls waited for Keitaro to open up with whatever reason he had brought them there.

"Ano, everyone, I'm sure you're wondering why it is that I brought you here for a meeting today. Well, as you all know, I've had some trouble actually going to Toudai now that I've been accepted finally. This young man here, William Kinair, is currently entered in a prep course to try to get into Toudai as well. As a full-time Toudai student, I won't have enough time to continue all of my duties here while attending school and catching up with all of my studies. To that end, I have decided to hire an assistant to... uh, assist me with the duties of running an inn. That's why you're all here, I want to make sure that all of you are ok with this, just like you all had to decide that I could be your manager." Keitaro finishes his statement, waiting for reactions from the girls assembled at the dinner table. They all turn to William as one entity, giving him a new once over as they considered this change that was coming.

"If Urashima-sempai needs the help, I think that a change as small as this is all right." Shinobu is the first to speak up, in a voice that is clear, surprising a few of the residents within at her tone, but nobody made anything of it, as Urashima nodded in accordance.

"Well, he's certainly not the dork you are, so I'm sure he'll be all right." Spoke up the young blonde wearing the cap, in a snide tone. Seta and Haruka both nod their agreement, receiving nods from Keitaro again.

"The more the merrier, this guy looks like he's as much fun as you Keitaro!" states the dark-skinned blonde, loudly, as everyone at the tale blanches slightly, considering what it is that Kaolla Su believes in as fun.

"Well, I'm kind of suspicious, but he might be all right... still, so long as he pays rent, everything should be fine. You can pay, can't you?" The gray haired female states abruptly, as she gives him a sly look, curious as to how much money he might have, considering his strange garb.

William gazes at her, a small smile on his face as well, glad that he'd had the foresight to have that special pocket sewn into his pants. As an adventurer, he'd always wind up at some strange place, and it was always good to carry some kind of universal currency. No place he had been to yet could quite turn away from diamonds of the quality he'd had stashed away, and even this strange country in the future of a world that is not his appeared no different. He had only sold a single of the diamonds within the satchel in his pocket and from what Tsuruko had explained to him of the currency, he had more than enough money for a while.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a large wad of paper notes, what he had been informed were currency in this day and age. He tossed it onto the table nonchalantly, looking at Kitsune with a sly smile of his own, and then looking at Keitaro. Everyone at the table was shocked with the thick wad of notes that appeared on the table, Kitsune practically choked down her tongue at the amount of money he glibly threw out onto the table.

"That should cover me for a good while, right? If not, you let me know." William spoke to all of them, a quizzical look on his face as he glances at the gray-haired girl, while the others sit at the table in utter shock. Keitaro reached out and counted the money for a full year's rent, realizing that he only took one bill, he swallowed slightly, and returns the wad of bills to William.

"You're .. good for a year, Kinair-san I only wish Motoko were here, heh. This kind of reminds me of the last time a Karinrin was chosen." Keitaro laughs as do the others, remembering what it was like the last time this happened. Even though Motoko had warmed to Keitaro after some time, she still did not take kindly to those of the male species, considering them all weak perverts with only one thing on their mind. Men like Seta and Keitaro are the few she can tolerate.

"William, it looks like you're hired, assuming that Motoko doesn't object. That's Shinobu, the one with the hat is Sarah, Kaolla Su over there likes to blow things up, and this is my girlfriend Narusegawa Naru. You've already met Seta-san and my ... uh, and Haruka-san. The gray haired female is Konno Mitsune, but we all call her Kitsune. You have yet to meet Motoko-chan, but I'm sure she'll be arriving shortly." Keitaro introduces each of the current residents at Hinatasou, some regarding him with a smile, some with a nod, but all now the knew face of their newest member, a one William Kinair.

Kaolla Su was already wondering what new inventions she could try on him, or how many Mecha-Tamas he could deal with at once. Sarah was unsure of him, as he did not appear to be even remotely Japanese, but his Japanese was better than hers. She wanted to test his skills in English, but decided to leave it alone. Shinobu was wondering what kind of food he would want to eat, and what she would be making for dinner tonight. Kitsune was wondering what kind of a scheme would happen with him, considering that he was certainly much more handsome than most of the men here, dressed well, and had what appeared to be oodles of money, but didn't show it off the way Kentaro did.

Meanwhile, a lone figure was making her way back to Hinatasou, in her traditional kendo garb of the red hakama and a white gi. She had just returned from instructing one of her friends at kendo club, and was looking forward to getting home and beginning her own practice session. She sees a thin trail of smoke still wafting from the area near the kitchen and wonders what sort of trouble Kaolla Su has been up to.

She strides into the Inn, with a ready smile for the inhabitants and her face halts slightly as she walks into the kitchen, noticing that they are all caught up in conversation with another individual. A builder, she tells herself, someone come to repair the new hole in their kitchen, but as everyone turned to her, and she realized that could not be it.

She gazed at him with a strange look on her face, as he turns slowly to look at her. Even from his seated position she could see that he was quite tall and broad-shouldered. He even had a scar underneath his left eye, and clothing that mystified Motoko as it was from a time and place that was certainly not current day Japan. When he finished turning, his eyes caught onto hers and she found herself with her breath caught in her throat. She shook her head slightly, as she realized she was being spoken to.

"Motoko-chan, meet William Kinair, he has been hired as my assistant for with Toudai I will be too occupied with schooling to fulfill all of my duties. At least, that is what will be the case assuming that is all right with you. He's even attending the exam prep course, maybe he can join you and you two can study together or something," Keitaro realized that he might have let his mouth run on auto-pilot for a little too long from the look on Motoko's face. The others recognize the look on Motoko's face and all start to stand up to vacate the table.

"Urashima, though there can be exceptions to every rule, one would think that you would understand that glibly allowing MEN to stay at an All Girls' Dormitory is not a good idea. I would think that some people here," Motoko pauses to glance at Kitsune and Narusegawa, even tossing a hard glance in Haruka's direction. "Once again, as I am the only remaining person with any sense, I can see it is up to me to stop this."

Motoko walks away, leaving everyone mystified to her motives. As Motoko walks away, she looks to the sword at her side, quite similar in style to her previous blade, glad that she could put up the burden of the Hina blade that she sealed previously; she looks around for another blade, realizing that since this man is weaponless, she obviously could not duel with him as such. She stalked into her room angrily, grabbing another sword, and stomped out towards the kitchen as everybody exchanged looks to what was coming.

Seta and Keitaro had a pretty good idea of what Motoko had in mind, and so when Motoko reappeared with another blade they knew exactly what she had in mind. Motoko stood in front of the stranger angrily, trying to calm herself so that her anger would not get the best of her. Her breathing was heavy due to her anger, but she was now under control once again. She knew that this time as she was not sick and because this man did not appear like Keitaro, that her duel would not end up as last time. This time she would defeat her foe.

William gazed at the girl who stood before him, remarking to himself how much she looked liked Tsuruko. Though she was younger, William dared to say that she might even be more beautiful than her older sister. He could see the look of fierce determination in her eyes and was somewhat worried as to what this might entail. Noting the two swords in her grip, he realized that Tsuruko's claims of Motoko being a swordswoman were true as well.

"The terms shall be set as they were before. A duel, the victor attaining the position of assistant manager here at the Hinatasou. Since you do not carry a weapon, gaijin, I shall supply you with one." She tossed the blade in her hand at him with a sneer, and then was startled slightly as he caught the blade and brought it to his side with practiced ease and speed, pulling only an inch of the blade from its sheath, in a typical iaido stance. Motoko then realized that this man may have held blade before, and was somewhat startled to see his familiarity with the weapon.

He then did something very strange, as he had seen the blade; he put it back in its sheath, bent down on one knee, and appeared to be offering the sword back to her, although she could not be entirely sure. When he did not speak, remaining like some sort of statue, Motoko decided to be the one to break the silence.

"What does this mean, gaijin? Anyone?" Motoko queried as she continued to gaze at the stranger on a knee before her, sword held out as he refused to move.

"Well, I can't be sure, but some cultures use that sort of stature to offer abeyance, or perhaps a forfeit, or a surrender." Spoke Seta, acquainted with many old civilizations, but never having seen ceremony quite like this. He knew though, that with the ease that William had caught the sword and the way he placed it at his hip, that this was a man who had been using a blade for a very long time.

"A surrender is it?" Says Motoko, her voice haughty and filled with confidence. "Such is the man who we would have had as our manager." She spat out as she glared at him, wondering how such a large man could be such a weakling.

"You could ask what my intentions were, milady, before jumping to your conclusions. I offer this blade to you in return because I cannot accept this duel." Motoko stared at him in shock, and began to wonder if this fool had no honor or was simply mocking her.

"You cannot accept? You dare? Draw that sword, or I shall strike you down where you kneel, cur!" Motoko speaks with a fire in her voice unrivaled, her anger slowly coming to surface again.

"I cannot accept, milady, for I made a vow that I would never draw blade against a person again. I will not forsake that in this duel with thee. I am not a killer. To draw a bladed weapon upon another person would make me such." He spoke softly, but in a tone that would brook no argument. Simple fact that would not change, he stated his position, and now it would be up to Motoko or another to offer a counter-argument.

"Motoko, why not use practice blades for your duel? Surely that would be acceptable to the both of you." Seta suggests, finding more and more about this young man that he liked. Motoko took the sword from William's outstretched hands, and she walked over to where her weapons are stored. William follows her to retrieve a blade for this duel, his eyes on Motoko's form from behind the whole time. The others follow after William, Su muttering to herself about new fun, the rest of the group not wanting to miss out on Motoko fighting.

Motoko muses to herself about his refusal to draw blade upon another person. As if he'd ever killed anyone with a blade before. As if he'd ever drawn a sword in anything but a practice match. Her family had been hunting demons since ages immemorial; where was he? Surely he was not so confident with his blade that he'd made a vow to refuse to draw it against a person. Few but the greatest sword-masters ever did anything so arrogant. She would show him the power of an Aoyama in her prime. She may not be her sister, but Motoko had skill that had earned her the title of master. She would show that, that, man.

Finally they all arrived at Motoko's room, where she began searching for practice weapons to be used in the duel. She grabbed out a bokken, a wooden practice blade looking much like an unsheathed katana, without a guard or discernible hilt. She looked for another one but was surprised to find William reach past her and grab up a shinai, four bamboo lathes bundled together with string, with a hand guard and discernible hilt.

She was mystified to see him pick that up, but he glanced at her bokken, and then at his shinai, and smiled at her as if to justify his choice with a mere smile. She glared at him then looked away, not wanting to give him the pleasure of seeing her flustered. Few men had ever looked Motoko directly in the eyes, and his smile. Motoko shook her head and focused on the duel, ready to beat that smile out of him if necessary.

With their weapons selected, the two walk out, an Inn's worth of residents in tow, the two combatants journey towards a new future for Hinatasou. Some of the residents who were there muse at the similarity between this and Motoko's reaction to their previous Managerial announcement, when it was Keitaro who was chosen. Keitaro had tried to save her life then, as she was sick and was going to fall from the roof of the inn. How would this duel turn out with Motoko at full health?


	4. Chapter 3: An Unexpected Twist

::**Chapter 3::**

**::An Unexpected Twist::**

**Location: Hinatasou**

The inhabitants of Hinatasou are all gathered outside, where there is a clear space on the cobblestone walks near the Inn, for an event that will affect all the residents. William walks over to a space a good distance from Motoko, his shinai resting lightly on his shoulder. All the others save Haruka are gathered outside gazing at the two combatants as they mark their spaces. Motoko holds her bokken in the folds of her hakama, as if sheathed and looks over at the gathered spectators, motioning at Seta with her head.

"Seta-san, if you would oversee this duel, the sooner I deal with this foreigner, the sooner life returns to normal here at Hinatasou." She states arrogantly, gazing at all the others waiting before turning her gaze back to her opponent, who she notes is regarding her with a calculating gaze, almost as if trying to measure her skill through his eyes.

Seta nods in response to Motoko's request, smiling to himself as he considers when his, or anyone in the Hinatasou's life, could ever have been considered normal. He takes a look at the others to make sure they are all standing a good enough distance away from the sword-master and her latest opponent.

He looked to the both of them, waiting for their preparations. William was going over what he remembered of the Aoyama's style and trying to decide a way to meet Motoko's first charge. Everyone looks on as Motoko stands, still in the first form of battoujutsu, her hand ready to whip her bokken out in a flash, the samurai art of drawing to kill. William, on the other hand, brings his lazy stance up tightly, his feet together, marking the ground before him with a half-circle using the tip of his shinai. He then raises the weapon high, angling it slightly downwards, the smile and laughter gone from his eyes; neither frown nor smile upon his mien.

Seta raised an eyebrow at the stance, and watched Motoko look on in befuddlement. The others watched on anxiously, waiting for the match to begin. Seta, standing in-between them, nodded at each one, waiting for acquiescence. Each returns the nod, and Seta calls for the duel to begin, rushing back before they begin in earnest. As Seta returns to the group, Keitaro nudges him softly, pointing to William, the two duelists not having moved from their starting positions.

"Seta, what sort of stance is that, it looks familiar, but I can't quite place it." Keitaro asks, his eyes analyzing William's stance. Very defensible, quick reaction to most attacks, possible balance issues, and a possible problem with attacking, for as he held his sword, it looked as if it would be used to thrust primarily.

"Well, part-timer, that appears to be a style of fencing, if I don't mistake myself, European, specifically, Florentine, or perhaps a Spanish style, not entirely my specialty, but I keep myself apprised," Seta smiled at Keitaro as he noticed his student analyzing the new arrival carefully, sizing him up in a different fashion.

Without warning, the duel began, Motoko rushing in with her hands at her hip, ready to draw her blade, uttering a loud kiai as she rushes forward, intent on finishing the duel as quickly as possible and utterly embarrassing this gaijin who would dare bring his perversions to the Hinatasou.

Her bokken slides out easily from the folds of her hakama, and she brings it across in a horizontal strike, aiming for one of William's kidneys, pushing her speed to the utmost, and the first strike of the duel is made, the clack of wood upon bamboo is heard, as William brings his shinai about swiftly, bringing his arm about to gain enough power to counter her blow.

After his successful parry, Motoko brings her weapon back, thrusting forward aiming for his chest, the largest target he presents, only to find him gracefully twirling out of the range her thrust. She smiles, and quickly sweeps her sword to the side, only to have it met again by William's shinai, their weapons making a cross in front of him as Motoko glares at him.

William pushes her bokken away from him and jumps back slightly, reassuming his stance. Motoko holds her blade in two hands before her, in classic kendo style, eyeing her opponent with care, having gained some measure of his skill. He was quick, and strong, and had so far easily dodged her strikes. At least, such he made it seem. He still held his sword in one hand, and he did not appear to be moving on the attack, nor had he tried any sort of counter-strike after parrying her blows.

She rushes at him, launching another series of blows coming from her current starting position, methodically testing his defenses and trying to get past them, as well as gauging his skill. William calmly parries blow after blow, making no move himself to attack her, simply parrying and dodging her blows, his breathing steady and calm. The onlookers can only gaze on as their resident kendo girl strikes at a man who refuses to let any of her attacks get through.

After another pass, Motoko working even harder, having analyzed the possible balance issue, makes a strike for William's lower legs, trying to knock him off his center, anything, and he nimbly back flips away from her strike, her bokken going harmlessly through the space where his legs had just been previously.

"Amazing… he's so graceful, he moves as if this is nothing to him," speaks Kitsune, amazed at the duel's progression, Motoko having not landed a single strike, and Kinair moving as if he'd been wielding a sword for as long, possibly even longer than Motoko.

"He looks like he's dancing, almost," states Shinobu, watching William move gracefully from parry to dodge to parry, his feet moving almost rhythmically, a twirl here, she could almost see him at a ball with a woman in his arms as he twirls her around on the dance floor. She blushes slightly as she realizes she's the one being twirled in her mind's eye, and returns her focus to the match.

"He's predicting Motoko's attacks well, and compensating easily." Kaolla Su states as she fiddles with a remote control in her hand, her mecha-tama eye in the sky giving her another view of the battle, one she was enjoying as she considered his speed and skill into one of her schemes.

"Papa, he almost moves like you do," states Sara, watching this fight happily, having seen fencing matches in the U.S. Olympics, recognizing a bit of the style William was using, but she was still concerned at a stranger displaying as much skill as her father, and the fight hadn't even appeared to heat up yet.

"Yes, he does, but he doesn't appear to have any Jeet Kune Do training, he seems to instinctively understand what it is to flow in battle." Seta gives his daughter a smile, and then he turns back to the fight he is supposed to be judging, truly intrigued by the skill the stranger displays. He glances at the crowd and finds most of them wrapped up in the duel, even Keitaro and Narusegawa are watching intently, having some sort of private conversation while they watch.

After their last exchange, the two warriors break apart and move at some distance from each other, Motoko doing so in a great leap, William doing a complex set of back flips, one hand still on his weapon, they both land, resuming their stances, and William gives Motoko an appraising nod.

"You fight well, milady. Are you done yet?" William asks, his manner remaining the same, focused on their duel as he gazes at her passively. His words almost brought a smile to her face, but she remained calm, passive. She lifted her sword up, concentrating, and threw out one of the trademark Aoyama attacks, a blast of wind fueled by the energy of her body.

William's eyes open wide, almost having forgotten that Tsuruko was able to do this, and he dives to the side, rolling to come back up in a slightly kneeling position, ready to dodge again as, and there it was, he expected another blast of air to be coming his way. He dives to the other side as Motoko unleashes another of her wind attacks at him. This time, not having enough time to dodge by rolling it, he jumps straight up.

Motoko felt a bit of satisfaction at finally getting the stranger to move in a way she expected, so as she watched him leap into the air, she was pretty sure she had him where she wanted him, and unleashed another attack at him, knowing he will not be able to dodge it as easily as she had her others, if he could dodge it at all, while falling in midair.

William, having leapt up into the air a good distance, had kept his eye on his opponent, in truth, the whole time he'd spent dodging he was watching her, and he imagined that this was her intent, well played as it was. He saw her unleash another wind attack as he was falling, and he knew he had to think of something. He could see the attack, almost, and it covered a good bit of area. Perhaps if he could minimize how much of the full attack actually hit him, he could spare himself the worst of it. So in midair, he pushed himself forward, and tucked himself into a ball, when the air wave struck him.

The wave being much wider than his current form, the attack continued on mostly, with the center of it striking the small ball that is now William Kinair. It seemed to affect him little, if at all, as he continued rolling in the air as gravity began to take a hold of him again. Motoko was flabbergasted, seeing as to how such a simple gymnastic move had all but nullified her latest attack. She grits her teeth slightly realizing that this foreigner was more skilled than she had even begun to realize. William came out of his roll moments from the ground, his left leg bent, right leg out for balance, sword extended out to his right side, eyes forward, a small grin on his face.

Motoko wastes no time, seizing the opportunity to attack, rushing at him determinedly, slowly beginning to lose confidence in the easy victory she had envisioned when throwing a blade at this stranger. By the time she arrives, William is on his feet, carefully parrying or dodging all of her blows, maneuvering himself to where he can easily counterattack, but he holds back, awaiting blow after blow from Motoko.

Motoko notices this, and starts to get angry, her blows becoming increasingly erratic, giving William that much more ease in parrying or dodging and standing, even sometimes moving his sword to where he can strike at Motoko, but always he relents. Finally, after their next volley of blows, Motoko leaps back, anger prevailing in her features, and begins to shout at her foe.

"You, you perverse fool! How dare you! How will you beat me in this duel without landing a strike upon me?" She shouts, her sword lowered and at the 'rest' position. She spears William with an angry gaze, before turning to the crowd, looking for support, finding the girls all in rapt attention as they gaze at William, who stands, breathing lightly, standing tall, and his cloak flutters slightly in the wind that has picked up. She growls slightly to herself while trying to regain her focus, partly angry that her friends do not share her sentiment, her rage at this man mocking their duel.

William returns her gaze without any heat, or anger, or even mockery in his gaze. The only thing that one might see within his eyes is a sense of curiosity, or perhaps a guarded sense of worry, but regardless, he gazes at her, without reply, for a brief moment. He places both hands atop the hilt of his shinai, grinding its tip into the ground, gazing at the ground for a brief moment, perhaps composing an answer, calming himself, nobody could see his face so no one would be able to guess as to his intentions. He takes a deep breath, and lets it out, looking up at Motoko.

"My lady, please. I am not perverse, though you've known me little enough to judge that one way or the other and I dare, because I can. I've simply held back the full extent of my skill, and any attacks upon your person, for a variety of reasons. I do not wish to strike a lady, duel, practice, regardless of the reason. I was awaiting the full release of your skill, as you are mine, I simply choose not to overwhelm someone who shall be a ward of mine, an I were to succeed and become the assistant manager of this establishment." William pauses in his monologue, gazing at the others, as they all stand outside, rapt, their attention nowhere else but the duel, save Su's, whose remote control is being worked maniacally in an attempt to stay in front of William for a good camera shot without Motoko noticing the turtle.

"Overwhelm me with your skill? I, your ward? You do not wish to strike me? Do you believe me a weak simpering housewife, to speak to me like that? You will regret those words. I expected you to be a weakling like Urashima. I did not realize that you might actually have some skill with a blade. Know this. I will not hold back any longer." Motoko closes her eyes briefly, leaving her sword at her left side, hoping to lull him into a false sense of security with her blade at a low guard.

Motoko watches William nod in acquiescence to her statements and place his shinai at his right side. She watches him shift his stance into what is more typical of battoujutsu. She stares on, her mouth quirked slightly, in what could be seen as a smile, or a smirk. Mock the art of her homeland, of her family, would he? Only true samurai know battoujutsu. She would show him the meaning of strength, once she finally managed to place her sword upside his head. All of these thoughts run through her head in a moment, as she watches William grind his booted foot into the ground slightly.

The tension in the air is palpable, and the on-looking audience is holding their breath, awaiting the next clash of these two warriors. For a brief moment, the air is still, the wind is still, and at that precise moment, they strike. They rush forward, their weapons still, a small puff of dust being kicked up behind them. They are upon each other before the audience realizes, Motoko herself being faced with the stranger before she knew it. Unprepared, she felt a sharp smack, belatedly noticing that William's shinai had already been pulled from the sheathed position and was striking her wrist, hard.

So surprised was she by the blow, and the force behind it, that she nearly did as the blow was designed to do, and tightened her grip quickly, to avoid losing her sword. In that instant, she realized that the blow had been a mere distraction, as with a quick twist of his wrist to put some power behind the blow, William was bringing his shinai around for a fierce strike at Motoko.

Motoko summoned a speed borne of sheer desperation, bringing her bokken straight up, and it is all she can do to just hold back the strength that William brings to bear on her. Their bodies are close now; their weapons locked together, William pushing slightly, Motoko keeping him back. She can feel his hot breath, his gaze on her, as they stand there. Motoko raises an eyebrow at the full smile that is now on her opponent's face, as if he knows something she doesn't know.

"There is a saying from my country. I don't recall it exactly, but … it states that dangerous women are beautiful… or is it that beautiful women are dangerous. I'd say you fit both statements perfectly, my lady." The statement that is uttered is loud enough for all to hear it, and Motoko's cheeks begin to burn with shame, or is it embarrassment. In the audience, there can be heard snickers, a smile or two can be seen growing.

It takes Motoko a second or two for the comment to begin registering in her mind as more than just gibberish. She suddenly doesn't know which she finds more appealing, that he thinks her dangerous, or that he thinks her beautiful. She falters for a bit, trying to make sense of it all, when she sees his eyes suddenly widen in surprise, and the force on her blade increases, as her moment of inattention costs her.

The world suddenly starts to flip around her, as she is pushed towards the ground with a force she cannot match, and she hears a gasp from the audience. She closes her eyes expecting the finishing blow to come, and for it to be painful, as her sword was wrenched from her grip and she lay on the ground, on her back. There is no sound, no blow, for a pair of moments, and Motoko wonders to herself what has just happened. She feels a drop of something on her face, something wet.

Was it starting to rain? The first thought that ran through Motoko's mind. She opened her eyes, expecting to see her opponent gloating, or the rain beginning, although she could recall no clouds from when that would come. All she could see above her though, was a monster, and a man.

She blinked her eyes, shock permeating her, as all she could see was a sword, a blade, its edge near the hilt serrated, slowly being pushed into the man who she had just recently faced as an opponent. From her position, she could see that strike, had she still been standing… that would have been a deathblow. Straight for her heart, she would have been struck, and most likely, died, that blow was now a sword being shoved hilt deep into her former assailant. She could see his blood running onto the sword, and realized that is what she felt falling on her face.

She lay, transfixed at the sight, in utter shock. She turned her eyes towards the monster that had struck, wielding a blade as black as death. He smelled of the grave, with pale, unhealthy gray skin. She could see patches on his arm where his skin had rotted beyond repair, chunks of meat showing underneath. Her stomach trembled, threatening to upheave her last meal but she quelled it, her swordswoman's pride keeping her from throwing up. After all, the Aoyama's hunt demons, and that, this thing surely is. Her only growing worry was why had she not sensed it. Why did this innocent man now have to die for her failing? The monster was clearly here for her life, and yet all she had was a sore bottom from being roughly thrown to the ground. She recalled William's eyes widening before he pushed her down, and realized that he either saw or sensed something. He purposely pushed her down, knowing he would take the blow that was meant for her.

She hears a slight grunt from William, and a throaty rumble from above her. The vile thing pushes its sword deeper into William, almost up to the hilt now, and that throaty rumble is laughter, a sound coming up from the depths of the Abyss itself, the air seemed to darken with its utterance. She can hear a tremulous wail from the audience, surely Shinobu, her trademark shyness coming to surface as full-blown fright in this situation.

"Why?" The only thing Motoko could utter; her mind unable to find any answers, logic, or reason, for this to be happening. Keitaro had once shown her his selflessness, but then he had his duties as manager at that time. She realized that he would have done it anyway, for such was his nature, his one strength, his heart, to make up for his clumsiness, and his other general ineptitudes. Now, she was faced with another whose heart was strong, whose true strength had just embarrassed and shamed her, as he took the killing blade meant for her heart.

She saw William look down at her, responding to her faintly voiced question, and he gave her a smile; a smile full of warmth, of hope, and of confidence. She could only barely hold back the tears coming to her eyes at his bravery before his death. She gasped as the sword was driven deep now, to the hilt, the serrated edge aggravating the wound in what was sure to be an unhealthy fashion. He maintained his smile even with that final thrust, and then opened his mouth to speak.

"It is simple, my lady. Any man who would not die for a woman, is no man." He gasps as he says this, the sword being taken out of his stomach, Motoko turning her head away from him in shame, fearing the end that is to come. Her sword and bokken both, too far away, she could see the shinai she had lent William was shattered in half, a feeble attempt to block the blow coming towards him. She could see the other members of the Hinatasou in shock, and dismay. Seta looked angry, but was occupied with his daughter's face buried in him as she turned away. Kitsune was busy doing the same for Shinobu, who looked to be seconds away from fainting. Kaolla Su had a sad look on her face, her mind apparently elsewhere, her hands listless and the remote in her hand in danger of falling. Keitaro stood protectively before Narusegawa; his fists raised, clearly, his training with Seta-san having been very constructive for him, as he now looked ready to cause severe pain to anything coming near Narusegawa.

Motoko forced herself to look back into the eyes of her would-have-been savior, and she saw the sword of the monstrosity who would end him, and probably her, raising his sword high, for a final strike, two hands upon the weapon, a sword whose purpose bespoke of evil, and death. She saw the monster's face turning up into a grin and felt her own shocked look becoming a snarl of anger, of rage.

"All too easy," bespoke the monster before the sword began its arc downward, muscles of gray death tensing, their purpose to remove the soul, the life of a warrior, perhaps two. The blood already on the blade began to speck off from the force being put behind the swing, the blade glinted dully in what little sunlight there was felt to be left. Without warning, the still form of William Kinair burst into action, his whole upper body executing a strange sort of shove, and he began to bring his arms up in what appeared a final attempt to ward the blow, but surely no flesh or bone would withstand the sort of blow that was awaiting him.

With the resounding clang of metal against metal, the serrated blade is stopped from its fatal stroke mere inches above the head of one William Kinair. Two punching daggers can be seen gripped in his fists, his knuckles presented towards his foe, his arms bulging slightly from the strain, easily seen even in his loose sleeves, his knuckles white as he stares grimly at his opponent. The monster tries to push past the block, but is unable to as William is standing firm, gritting his teeth.

"Did you think that was all it took, Revenant? I am no easy meat!" William says, his voice low, harsh, anger coming from gritted teeth. Motoko watches on in awe, unaware that he had katars hidden upon his person. The two combatants struggle against each other briefly, neither one making way in either direction, until William swiftly brings his knee up to his chest; pushing forward to kick the Revenant, as he had named it, hard enough to push it back a few feet. The monster shouted in surprise, but quickly regained himself and took a strange stance.

William bounds forward to meet his foe, his arms back, his face rippling in a snarl promising pain to the foe he moves to engage. Motoko rolls onto her side to gaze on, usually being the one doing the fighting, not often is she granted a spectator's role, and she takes advantage, watching what she now believes to be a seasoned warrior, move in on the attack, move in for the kill. She noticed the monster begin to mumble to itself in a language unbeknownst to her, but the shadows grew darker near him, almost taking a life of their own, and she saw William skidding to a sudden stop as the monster thrust his hand out, a strange three pronged vortex in his hand as he called out.

"Rise, my legions! Drag these fools to the abyss!" William looked back in to the others, his gaze roaming over Motoko, and then the girls, fear etched on his face, as the monster's call to arms was heeded, and all of the Hinatasou would soon realize that they were no longer spectators for this event, but unwilling participants.


	5. Chapter 4: Call of the Dead

::**Chapter 4::**

**::Call of the Dead::**

**Location: Hinatasou**

"Rise, my legions! Drag these fools to the abyss!" was the monster's call, and it brought a chill to William's heart. He knew what came next, and as he looked at Motoko and the others with him, he realized that the situation was quickly becoming more dangerous than he might be able to accommodate, and realized that he'd have to hurry and take charge before things got any worse. He could see the warrior in Seta's eyes, and the protector in Keitaro's, and he hoped it would be enough.

"Noriyasu-sama, Urashima-sama, prepare yourselves, for the dead come! Take the girls to the inn, quickly, and defend them with your lives!" William barks out with a clear voice of authority, quickly backpedaling from his former foe, his eyes glancing around as he moves closer to the girls and Motoko, his earlier haste in dispatching his enemy forgotten.

"Aoyama-sama, rise and take your weapon, or return to the inn for another, quickly, for your assistance will be needed in dispatching these foes and keeping the girls of the inn safe." Motoko nods, realizing that it's time to move, and she shrieks as an arm rises suddenly from the cobblestone, a clawed hand grasping for air, nearly catching her in the attempt. She quickly rolls to the side avoiding the hand, and the cobblestones begin to disperse, erupting forth the minions of the Revenant, a grave spewing its ichors onto the mortal plane.

The girls quickly begin screaming, as horrors from another world began coming forth around them, Keitaro and Seta had already adopted the loose stances trademark of Jeet Kune Do and began to sidle slightly, protectively, over the girls, as they began to make their way back to the inn.

Keitaro and Seta had been shocked momentarily, but at the sound of William's voice, and the monster's strange call, they realized that it would be up to them to protect everyone. Seta gazed at his student, worried slightly that he had not been taught enough, but he had seen Keitaro do the impossible, so long as it came to protecting his dear Narusegawa. He then gazed at the young warrior, still bleeding from his earlier wound, backing up, his two hands gripping his katars tightly, watching Motoko get up after the defensive roll towards her bokken, and knew that they had a fight on their hands. It would be fun, if not for the fact that their lives were on the line.

William looked around quickly, did a bit of mental math, and realized that there would be one defender to an innocent, at least, considering that Sara was on Seta's head, although he wasn't sure how she'd gotten there. Maybe he'd been busy being stabbed. William then took a deep breath, pleased at the fact that this might not turn out so disastrous.

"Defenders choose an innocent and shepherd them to the safety of the inn! Their safety is in your hands!" So saying, William waited for the others to make their choices, watching Seta hover protectively over Shinobu, Sara already on his head and in relative safety; Keitaro hovering defensively near Narusegawa. Motoko had made her way over to the group to make a choice when all options were removed from the equation, as the battle began. Keitaro and Seta began to face off against their first opponents, fists and feet flowing around undead hands aiming to pummel the life out of their adversaries.

Suddenly, a monster appears behind Narusegawa, and Keitaro's keen eyes catch it, fear gripping him as he realizes he can barely hold off his current adversary, let alone shift his focus enough to save Narusegawa, but his keen thinking, or rather, his long memory, hits him with an idea of how to save his love.

"Narusegawa, there's a pervert behind you!" Keitaro yells, a fond smile on his face at the memories, and of what he knows will happen next.

"Pervert? Where? Zombie no BAKA!" She turns around, unleashing her famous Naru Cutter, pulverizing the zombie into dust and ash with a single blow, breathing heavily, from anger, fear, all of the emotions running through her system. She stares in slight shock, realizing that Keitaro just funneled what was her worst enemy in their relationship, into a valuable weapon. All of the others smiled in tandem, thinking to themselves, Naru's still got it.

Another monster erupts in front of Kitsune, this one a toothy demon, not even looking remotely human, with claws rather than hands, each monstrous nail dripping with some unknown substance, hissing as it fell onto the cobblestone walkway. Kitsune was so surprised, she didn't even have time to scream, before she felt something crashing into her without warning, but the fall to the cobblestone walk was surprisingly gentle. All she could feel was warmth and a large pair of … arms? Supporting her gently, keeping her from crashing onto the floor. She put her arms around her savior, opening her eyes to see a worried pair of hazels looking at her in fear. She saw him quivering slightly, she couldn't quite be sure what happened, but she feared the worst, with her arms on his back, she could feel the wounds the monster had left behind.

She could barely comprehend the fact that someone, a complete stranger, had just put himself into harm's way to save her life. Here he was, wounded, quivering in, what, she did not know, and yet he was still able to hold her as gently as if they had been dancing, keeping her safe both from the fall and the monsters threatening their lives. His quivering finally stops, as he shakes his head sharply.

"Gaah. Ghouls. Just what the day needs. Are you all right, Mitsune-san?" William asks, his voice full of the concern his eyes are displaying. Kitsune whimpers slightly and nods in response, fear and feelings overcoming her ability to speak. Her eyes open wide, giving William the necessary warning, and he cradles her closer and rolls to the side, the ghoul pouncing on the spot they had just vacated. Kitsune stares at the monster in fear, praying to the gods that she would give up sakè, gambling, practical jokes, anything to avoid the gaze of that monster, or worse yet, its vicious claws.

The monster stares back at Kitsune, and she shrinks into William's embrace further, shaking in fear. William gazes at the monster, and his eyes roam around the battlefield in a mere second, as the ghoul rushes to strike at them again, and William begins to roll away with Kitsune safely tucked in his embrace. He quickly picks up rolling speed, noticing that his current charge looks a bit queasy, sees his opening, as well as a need.

In the interim, Motoko and Su were back to back, for many different reasons. One of these was so that Motoko and Su could both have a clear view of the battlefield, each one guarding the other' back. The other was so that Su could use her mechanized air turtle, dubbed Mach-Tama in honor of how fast it could go if she pushed it, without Motoko seeing it and completely losing her composure. She realized that revision 4.235 did not have enough weaponry, and she would need to go back to the drawing board, assuming she survived what was going on now. Keitaro and Narusegawa were making short work of their foes, the girl now having forced her fear back, using the skills in hand-to-hand she had been taught to help her boyfriend. Keitaro, not as adept at Seta, was taking longer, but with Naru's help, they were edging their way towards the inn.

Seta was flowing around as was his usual style, leaving Shinobu hard pressed to keep up, but he was keeping his adversaries at bay, a few strikes flashed, eliminating another zombie, as he wove his path of destruction towards the inn. Too late, Seta noticed a zombie had crept up on his flank, he wasn't going to be able to dispatch his current foe in time, and Shinobu was too busy being afraid to notice the danger to even hope to evade for long enough. William, luckily having rolled in their direction, saw this, carefully planting one of his feet to start coming up sideways, clutching Kitsune's arm to twirl her out, almost as if they were dancing. His free arm, with the katar flashing as the sun peeked through, trying to beat out the oppressive clouds, quickly connected with the zombie threatening Shinobu, easily slicing the head off. The beast tottered momentarily, before it fell, eliciting a frightened squeal from Shinobu, causing Seta to divert his attention for a mere moment. He shared a smile in passing with William as the man continued to spin, Kitsune now behind him with the ghoul finally having caught up.

Claws and katar began to clash quickly, William's calm focus and skill keeping the ferocity of the undead ghoul at bay. A slice to the arm, a punch to the stomach, or equivalents thereof, another pair of rapid slashes to its chest, and the ghoul hisses its eerie war cry one last time before finally falling to a powerful strike to its shoulder, William's katars now dripping with monstrous ichor.

William looks around, attempting to catch how the battle continues for his motley forces. Motoko's air strikes dispatch her zombie foes with ease, but he can see that she cannot last forever launching these attacks, and then his eyes spy another ghoul, this one rounding on Motoko. He takes a deep breath and moves more quickly towards the inn, motioning with his head for Seta to quicken the pace as he follows his own instructions.

Motoko had barely turned from a careful air strike that she had launched to her right to dispatch another zombie when another monster was on top of her, claws slashing out in the hopes of rending her life from her body. A quick duck and she is saved from a haircut, and possible decapitation. Her bokken brought up in a hasty guard, and the strange rasp of hell-bound claws raking across solid oak cause her to cringe, and she notices her bokken is a bit worse for the wear after the strike. She realizes that she will have to reinforce the bokken with her ki, but she will need a moment to do that, a moment she doesn't appear to have just yet.

"Su, quickly, zap my foe with your weapon! Just keep it distracted from me for a brief pair of moments!" she yells, avoiding using her sword in avoiding the thing's blows, breathing hard and sweating when a couple of blows come too close, ripping off chunks of her hakama.

"Coming right up, Motoko!" Su yells in her usual cheerful voice, her mood having shifted not a whit though their lives are all in danger. She quickly guides her Mach-Tama above Motoko's head, still being careful not to let her see it, and fires a pair of wires from the turtle that grip the ghoul's tough skin, barely, and she allows the discharge a few thousand volts to discourage the beast.

Motoko took the moment's distraction to quickly charge her sword with ki, but upon watching the ghoul, as William had called it, taking all the electricity Su was pumping into it, she realizes that her simple blade would not be enough. These beasts were evil, though, that much was certain. Motoko closed her eyes and began to concentrate on her family's arts, a move she had learned only recently, thanks in part to the residents in this inn, and a man she had termed a useless pervert.

"Now fiend, this will be your end." Motoko raises her sword to the heavens, the sunlight catching it again as the clouds start to part, almost as if they move for her and her alone. Her eyes open with a startling clarity as her sword starts to glow a heavy golden color, her arms tensed as she begins to bring the sword down, opening her mouth in a familiar cry!

"Shinmei Ryu Ougi: Zanma Ken ni-no-tachi!" she cries out, her sword unleashing a swirl of pure golden energy straight into the ghoul, whose form is completely disintegrated by the force of the blast, the wind from the force pushing her hair and outfit forward, she surveys her handiwork as she brushes a stray strand of her from her face.

Her audience at this point, all of them watch on in amazement once again, as one of the legendary attacks of the Gods' Cry School is performed by its master. William thinks to himself as he watches her "Gods' Cry School Secret Attack – Evil Splitting Sword. Most intriguing."

Keitaro and Narusegawa are the first to arrive, both breathing somewhat heavily from their exertions, and Keitaro looks inside for his aunt, hoping that the inn can be spared these beasts and worried over his relative. Narusegawa saves Keitaro the trouble and cups her hands over her mouth, in between breaths.

"Haruka-san! Come quick, we have trouble!" she yells out between her cupped hands, calling for her boyfriend's aunt in the hopes that they'll have another combatant to stave off the tide of monsters. Keitaro quickly ushers Naru inside, trying to keep as much of the entryway covered as he can, hoping that the others arrive quickly so they can mount a better defense for the inn. He watches Kinair's eyes as they dart from one place to another, wondering about him, but while his eyes roam, his hands are steady, his body tight yet fluid. With a protector like that, he feels the inn will be in served good stead, although he still wonders if this was the right decision.

Haruka is standing near the shelf where William had placed his weapons. She had been inspecting them, running her hands over the leather of the scabbard, gazing at the hilts and trying to decipher something about the man behind the blades. Her gaze ran over the bow, and noticed it was clearly worn, being very used. There was an engraved letter upon the bow, in English, if she had to make a guess. A stylized _K_ rested where one would normally grip the bow, along where a modern bow would have a sight. As Haruka heard Naru's call, she gripped up the boy's weapons, intending to use them herself if necessary, and rushed out to see what was going on.

The sight greeting her eyes shocked her to her core. This looked more like one of Seta's archaeological digs, although if she were truthful to herself, she'd remove the strange sword-bearing beast in the back and replace him with a mummy, put Egyptian garb and weapons in their hands. The clawed beast that had fallen to Motoko's attack just now also didn't quite belong, but hey, memories are memories.

Haruka spat out her cigarette and prepared to engage the monsters, placing her hand on one of the swords and attempting to draw it, and balking at finding herself unable to do so.

"Well, I didn't realize that swords nowadays came equipped with security features. Naru, hold these for me, would you? It has been a while since I've used a bow, but a weapon's a weapon, and it looks like some assistance is needed." She hands off the two swords to Narusegawa, carefully placing the ornate quiver upon her back, drawing out an arrow and grunting as she pulls it back, visibly straining as she does so. "Strong pull he's got worked here. Ah well, those targets are not too far."

Seta is facing off three of the zombies, pressing for an advantage, but his stance is defensive, dodging their blows, waiting for the opportunity to strike to present itself, but so far he has done nothing but dodged their blows. He notes with relief that Motoko and William have gotten their charges much closer to their destination, moving carefully, letting the battle come to them as they move, but his own worry grows as he knows he cannot keep up this pace forever. He then hears a familiar sound, and notices a strange ripple to the side as an arrow firmly lodges itself into the zombies' side, taking out a large chunk of the zombie's stomach. His eyes widen at such destructive power within an arrow, but he quickly glances back and notices Haruka standing with a large bow in her hands, and he smiles to himself before turning his attention back to his adversaries.

"Just like old times, eh, Haruka?" he states, the opening he waits for having been granted, a fast roundhouse takes off one zombie head, as he uses the momentum of the kick to spin away from the other zombie's blows, he lands a spinning back-fist using his left and follows up with a quick right hook, reminiscent of the Naru cutter, and the zombie falls.

Motoko arrives with Su at the entrance to the inn, nodding to the others and noticing that they are well, she stops for a moment to stare at the two blades in Narusegawa's hands. Her eyes widen as she notices Haruka with a bow, raising an eyebrow in clear surprise.

"Naru-sempai, I know that Haruka-san always had a strange assortment of items, but that bow, those swords? This too came from her collection of things here at Hinatasou?" Motoko asks of Naru, only to receive a shake of the head, and she gasps in recognition. She turns to watch William who is efficiently dispatching another one of the creatures he called a ghoul. She looks down in shame, and speaks in a low tone, only clearly heard by Naru and Su, who she is standing next to within the inn, where Keitaro is outside making sure the entrance is clear, and Haruka stands next to him, drawing and releasing her arrows somewhat jerkily, as if unused to the motion, or perhaps the pull of the bow, but for all of that, she strikes more often than not, and woe to the zombies that are struck by those strange arrows.

"They belong to… him; don't they?" Motoko asks, a raging shame burning in her breast. Her mind rails at her, unsure if she is ashamed of having lost to a man or of poorly judging someone who appears to be a proven warrior. Her reply comes not from Naru, but from an unexpected source behind her, Kaolla Su gently tugging at Motoko's hakama in urging.

"Even without the weapons; his eyes are like my older brother's. They are eyes that have felt war, known it like a bed-mate. So don't feel bad Motoko! At least you didn't lose the duel! Sort of." Su's tone begins melancholy, and wise, showing an intellect beyond her years and much unlike her usual cheerful self, but she finishes up in a style more her own, the unfailing cheerfulness and innocence of a child. Motoko looks up and glances at them both, her manner set firm.

"I shall retrieve my blade and return shortly. Be careful." Motoko rushes into the inn, heading for her room to retrieve her blade, while she cringes at the continued sounds of battle outside.

Not long after Motoko had rushed inside, Seta made it to the doorway of the inn. Shinobu rushed inside after making sure everyone looked okay, breathing heavily in fright and anxiety, unbelieving of the things she saw outside. She crushes Su in a hug more to the style of what the young Mol Mol native does to people as she's half asleep.

"Auuuu… Su, this is scary! What's going on, what's happening?" Shinobu asks of Su, teary-eyed, fear clinging to her like a rash, threatening to spread to the other inhabitants, but Su gives her trademarked (the one that means trouble or a new invention) smile and pats Shinobu on the back.

"Don't fear Shinomu. We're family; we'll all look out for you. Me, Seta, Motoko, Keitaro, even Kitsune and Naru would watch out for you," Su says, teeth flashing as she holds her hand behind her head, the other still holding her Mach-Tama remote control.

"What about Kinair-sempai?" She asks; a slight feminine gasp comes from her, blushing as she realizes the nickname she's already given to their latest arrival, a fact that Narusegawa and Su do not miss. Sara gives a cocky smile, watching Seta and Haruka share smiles, and makes sure to pull the other two back into the inn, where she knows they'll be safe, while Seta takes up a fighting stance near Haruka, who has stopped firing arrows, as none but a single enemy remains.

"Well Shinomu… I don't know, I just don't know. But I can't wait to find out!" Su yells cheerfully, as the object of said discussion arrives in their very midst, Kitsune in his midst, William hovering protectively over her. His eyes quickly notice what has transpired, and he gazes into the inn, his eyes wandering the path that Motoko trod as she went searching for her sword. He quickly sheathes his katars within the sleeves of his shirt, and turns to Kitsune, who stands hesitantly behind him, betraying an anxiety that the others are not accustomed to seeing on her.

He gracefully bows before her, his cloak in one hand as he cuts a dashing figure before her, gently taking her hand in his; he lightly presses his lips to it, kissing her hand as he comes near to a knee bowing before her. Kitsune blushes heavily at the attention, unused to such treatment from a man who has shown no intention yet of getting into her pants, as she's become accustomed to due to her 'reputation'. Narusegawa, on the other hand, is restraining herself, veins showing on her forehead from her anger, realizing this stranger might be a pervert after all, but angry that she cannot let loose with her infamous Pervert Crusher. The other girls spot her, and make sure to distract her before she drops her sword to do as she intends.

"My lady, have you suffered injury?" Kitsune shakes her head, unable to speak at his treatment. "'Tis well then, my lady; I must apologize, for there are other matters I need attend to, and while your charming company beckons… the battle is not yet done." He bows before her again, as he gently pulls his hand away from hers, everyone can see blood on Kitsune's hands, but nobody knows what to say, as William turns to Narusegawa, currently holding his swords.

William unclasps his broach and twirls his cloak up into a bundle, the nasty gashes he has taken so far showing on his back, in rips through his well-mended shirt. The blood has already soaked through the bandages that appeared to be underneath the shirt, now showing behind the tears in the shirt. He smiles at Narusegawa, who can only look at the others and wonder why they look at William in shock, eyes wide, Shinobu having even turned away.

"My lady Narusegawa, if I might have my swords from thee?" She nods in response, handing over his blades, he hands her his cloak and she takes it, as he carefully buckles his swords back onto his body, both blades of similar size and shape, large enough to be truly intimidating.

The thinner of the two blades he buckles to his belt at his left side, adjusting it in its sheath carefully, making sure it is ready to draw at a moment's notice. The thicker sword he places at his back, it's tip coming out of the left side as well, slightly tilted, but this one he also checks, drawing it out with his left hand slightly, and then he pushes the blade back in.

Motoko rushes down the stairs, having heard the commotion die down, and she stops at the bottom of the stairs, staring at William having adjusted his swords on his back. She sees the wounds on his back, and wonders how he acquired them, and she can still see the slighter entry that is the wound he took for her. She takes a deep breath, checks her sword, and makes her way down the stairs and to the entrance.

The general murmur of conversation ends, and a silence breaks as Motoko arrives, looking at William as he prepares for battle. William, preoccupied, doesn't notice the silence until he looks up from his preparations and see Narusegawa looking somewhere behind him. He turns and sees Motoko, and a ghost of a frown is whisked away into an easygoing and carefree smile.

"Ah, Aoyama-sama. I am glad you have armed yourself. Now that everyone is safe here, you can guard the doorway here, with Urashima-sama, and Noriyasu-sama." Motoko's eyes widen at his declaration, as he so casually brushes aside her assistance. So angered is she, that she cannot find the words with which to berate him for his presumption. Unfortunately, that does not last too long.

"You dare to command me? You are no samurai, you are no war leader. I am master of the Gods' Cry School and yet you presume once again?" Motoko quivers in rage, until she sees the wound in his breast, the one he took saving her life, and she becomes silent, her outburst almost ringing in the air.

"My lady, it is you who presumes upon my skill. Wish you to see proof? Then guard the doorway, and keep your friends here safe. I shall deal with this menace and if I am presumptuous, you can deal with them when these monsters have dispatched me." William turns from Motoko and walks toward the doorway, his gaze at the monster standing outside of the inn, on the cobblestone walk that was used moments ago as a dueling arena.

"What? You plan on defeating that monstrosity by yourself? What if he summons more of those things, you're already wounded! Are you insane?" Motoko grabs him by the shoulder so that he faces her, and he turns towards her slightly, looking down, Motoko realizes once again just how tall he is and he looks at her, his eyes clouded.

"No milady. I… am William Kinair." He turns away from Motoko and takes a step so that he is fully outside the inn, and then turns to look at Haruka, still holding his bow. A smirk comes to his face as he strokes his chin.

"Thank you for the cover fire. What's he been doing?" William asks, motioning with his head towards the Revenant still out in the walkway, who just stands there, his wicked bladed sword still out. Haruka shrugs and motions with her head to the Revenant, and then turns to look at William.

"He's just been standing there. By the way his shoulders are shrugging; I'd say he's laughing." Haruka makes to hand William the bow and take off his quiver, but he waves her off, and she shrugs again, keeping the bow in hand. Everyone looks towards the Revenant as he begins to speak, holding his hands before him in a strange fashion, a sort of defiant supplication, he finishes with a yell, words in a language best meant for the darkness, he cries out the end of his incantation. Once again, the forces of darkness begin to rise from their earthen graves, an equal number of monsters bursting forth from the ground, their deathly moans chilling the hearts of the Hinatasou residents.

"That, I believe, is my cue. The arrows shall not be needed. Remain here, and I shall dispatch these things." He looks at all of them, and his demeanor hardens when he gazes at Motoko, almost as if pushing her back through the force of his will alone. Motoko shies away from his fierce gaze and takes up a post next to Urashima, so now three able bodied warriors cover the doorway, as the forces of death begin to converge on Hinatasou.

William nods in approval, closes his eyes and then turns to his foe. He opens them, and of a sudden, he dashes towards the enemy, hand on the hilt of his blade! He cuts right through their ranks to their center, and almost as if it happened instantaneously, with no real point between the sword being in the sheath and out, as if it traversed no space at all, his first slash cuts sideways into one of the ghouls, making it's way mostly through the body, almost cutting the monster in half.

He ran through their ranks with ease, almost as if he was too fast, or they were too dead, but now he dances in the midst of their ranks, a man walking amongst the grave, sword flashing. He pulls his blade from out the ghoul, following through with a rough stab to its chest, the beast grasping and clawing at the blade attempting to pull it out, slicing its own claws on the fine steel of William's sword, ichor darkening most of the blade already. William pulls out from his slash with an overhand cut with a twist of his body, catching the zombie that was coming up on his flank.

The dance of steel and death continues, the only sounds coming forth being the clash of claws on steel, and the thump of steel hitting flesh, be it zombie flesh being struck, or a blow easily deflected from his body. No move wasted, each slice taken with precision, direction, the ranks of zombies and ghouls dwindled, until there were none left.

William remains standing, ash adorning the battlefield around him, the only thing left of the zombies and ghouls that had previously faced him. Upon closer inspection, there were various trifling wounds on his person where one beast or another must have scored a blow, but he stood as if the blows did not exist. He reaches into his pocket and with all due ceremony wipes his blade down before he sheathes it.

"Well, it seems you are a skilled swordsman, boy. Still, you are no match for a Nightbringer." The Revenant's words are cut short as William begins to laugh to himself, slowly, a smile upon his face.

"Your arrogance never ceases to astound me, Demon. I have slain your kind both when they lived and when they died." William draws forth the blade from his back, bringing it forth with his left hand in a slice to catch it with his right hand, and as he grips the blade with both his hands, he salutes his enemy in some strange ritual. To the surprise of the inn's residents, the Revenant returns the salute.

Now William, with sword held high, rushes the revenant in combat, and the Revenant rushes in turn to face him, as death contends with life. The onlookers can do aught but watch in awe at this man so young, so skilled. Skill against skill, strength against strength, their silent duel continued, neither combatant giving ground. Wound after wound would be struck, and blood and ichor flows upon the cobblestone grounds freely.

Finally, a telling blow is struck, when rather than striking at the Revenant who overextends himself, William aims at the beast's sword, shearing it in half with a powerful strike, to which the Revenant can do nothing but drop the blade and look on in anger. Seemingly defenseless, William strikes careful blow after blow, his strikes more guarded now, more careful. That is when the Revenant's hand starts to glow, and he starts reaching for William, who dodges and counterstrikes, taking great care to avoid the glowing member. Then the Revenant's hand is removed, and the final blow is struck, dark energy oozing off of the Revenant and into the ground, pouring out from the wounds and flowing with its ichor onto the stone pavement.

The battle ends with a swordsman on the ground, on his knees, in supplicant prayer as his charges look on in awe, the sun finally breaking through the clouds, the darkness beaten back once again.

AN: All of the translations for Motoko's attack have been taken directly from the U.S. Licensed version of the anime, not fansubs or fansites or the manga.


	6. Fanfiction Petition

Authors Note: Not that I have a huge amount of people following this story, but for the few that check it out, I apologize about this but this is something that needs to be done if we hope to continue our entertaining past times here on this site as they are.

Greetings to the fine folk that moderate our site.

I, along with many, have been writing and posting on your fine site for years now, some of the better examples of up and coming writers out there are are now suddenly finding some of the stories we've come to love at risk of being removed without the chance to even rectify our errors.

For some, that means the permanent loss of a story. While I don't have anything that (I believe) violates your terms of use, there are those out there that are never able to recover a story in it's original form, this is something I find to be almost worthy of a legal action, as while we cannot claim ownership of a character, the stories are OURS and simply destroying them is something that is inexcusable.

It's quite easy to simply add an MA rating, additional filters or even a simple requirement for a free membership to read the stories presented here, and would cut down on hateful anonymous reviews and posts at the same time, so I have to question as to why such a thing, in all this time, simply wasn't added.

If you're worried about falsification of a registration then have an appropriate disclaimer and then there can be no dispute, you took your steps and the PARENTS didn't monitor their children, if that is even your concern. If it is more of a personal view or desire then please at least let people know and give them a chance to remove a story that you and yours find offensive, most people on the site are actually rather cordial when it comes to such requests.

While I cannot say for sure if this letter will even reach those that may be willing to listen, of if it's more akin to a wide spectrum purge in preparation for something bigger, please understand that you are going to be looseing a LARGE number of your writers, and thus your income from a lack of readers if there is not some level of action taken to help with this situation.

For those that may agree with this, please fell free to sign on and send this to the support server, maybe we can get some movement on this.

EDIT: Just made a forum on this to, should be on the profile, not sure if that will help.

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Naruto-lost-deathnote

ParanoidSchizo91

kanshisha kitsune

germanyswarrior

askas30

kami no Kage

ssjgokillo

SSJ3 Kyuubi Gohan

NoLifeKing666

santanaann

doom13

Burning Shadow Wolf

Hawner

just-alive

1sunfun

thekiler00

Shinryu the Eternal Storm God

kyuubinaruto634

Sportsman

OoOXylionOoO

Kotias

StormxD95

demonkira

Rydyian Gunn the Journeyman

Konerok Hadorak

StarGazingAtMidnight

FlameDragon14

Woodsymoments

my-dear-fangirl

LoverofLemon

irenia

OutlawJustice

Alkkhes

PuckReathof


End file.
